Golf ball teeing device



Aug. 18, 1936. E. E. GOEHLER ET Al.

GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1935 ATTORNEY.

Aug- 18, 1936- E. E. Gol-:HLER Er A1. 2,051,253

GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE Filed March 4, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.5L/*1ER E. 60E/MER ATTORNEY,

Aug. 18, 1936. E. E. GOEHLER ET AL 2,051,253'

GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE Filed March 4, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 :E EllINVENTOR. IMEI? E. GOEHLER ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLF BALL TEEINGDEVICE Elmer E. Goehler and Paul Amort,

Portland, Orcg.

iluence of a slight vacuum we are enabled to use a tee of smallerdiameter, hence greater flexibility and with less liability of the eiectof the drive being modified by resistance oi the tee when the ball isstruck.

Using a tee of small diameter, great exibility and holding the ballthereon by vacuum of small degree permits the ball being touched by theplayer as he addresses the ball preparatory to his driving stroke,without displacing it. l

Holding the ball to the tee by slight vacuum makes available an idealforce for operating control apparatus for motor devices to reciprocatethe tee, the impulsion of air when the vacuum is broken by the drive.

.Vacuum apparatus of small capacity being required for each teeoperated, a moderate sized vacuum producing device may operate aconsiderable number of tees and may be widely spaced therefrom resultingin an entirely noiseless operation of the device to the end that theplayer is not distracted as by the hum of an individual motor of theelectric type such as ha been heretofore used.

Apparatus of the character described hereinafter is little or nothingsubject to interference by moisture, requires no periodic oiling orother attention, made of inexpensive materials and not requiring extracritical workmanship it can be distributed for a small fraction of themakers cost of apparatus heretofore known, thus making it available fora much larger use.

Realization 'of the advantages heretofore stated and others that will beapparent from this disclosure is thel purpose of our present invention.DrawingsV accompany and form a part of the disclosure herewith,illustrating the best form of apparatus as"now contemplated but it is tobe understood that they are illustrative and not. limiting and 'that bycertain obvious changes, air pressure can be substituted for vacuum inthe main motor; or any motive force can be substituted for either airpressure or vacuum in the main motor upon suitable modication of thecontrol device which will still be itself controlled by our vacuum tee,hereinafter described in detail.

Fig. I is a longitudinal vertical section of the preferred form of ourinvention, partly in section and showing the apparatus in its normal orde-energized position; 5

Fig. II is a view taken on the same plane as that in Fig. I, sectionedin a different manner, and shows the apparatus energized and holding agolf ball in driving position relative to a-playing iield; l

Fig. III is a section on the line III- III of Fig. II;

Fig. IV is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. II; and

Fig. V is a section taken as indicated by the l line V-V in Fig. II.

Referring to Fig. II. A tee member I, made of highly resilient softrubber, has a vacuum cup 2, formed on its ball engaging end, and aninternal passageway 3, which communicates with the bent tube 4, whichalso constitutes the arm for raising a golf ball G, from storage toplaying position.

Flexible tubes 5 and 6, are in communication with a vacuum producingdevice not shown and the tube 5, is connected to the bent tube 4, at 6.Thus in the position shown in Fig. II, vacuum of small degree will existin the hollow of the tube 4, designated by 4a, and this will be appliedto the golf ball G, shown resting on the vacuum cup 2, and will alsoexist in the chamber 1. 'I'he amount of vacuum required is quite low.

Referring now to Fig. I and assuming that vacuum effect is about to beapplied. If the vacuum cup 2 were open, that is no ball G in place,vacuum would be satisfied through the passageway 3, 4a, 6, etc. But assoon as a golf ball takes its place on the vacuum cup 2, it closes thepasageway 3,-not necessarily perfectly 40 air tight, but suiciently sothat vacuum will appear in the chamber 1. This causes a deflection ofthe diaphragm 8, from the position shown in Fig. I to that. shown inFig. II, which moves .the slide valve 9, and causes the ports I0 and II,45

to be placed in communication by relative movement of the D slot I2.

As before mentioned the flexible tube 6, is connected to the same vacuumsource as 5, and vacuum therefore will be felt through the passageway6a, be transferred by the D slot I2 to the port III and thence throughthe tube I3 to the rubber bellows I4, which partially-collapses from theposition shown in Fig. I to that shown in- Fig. n.

The bellows I4, is anchored at Il so that it is capable, at that point,of a relatively small longitudinal movement, the purpose of which willbe hereinafter explained. The whole apparatus or head I6, is pivoted atI1. The axis of the pivot I1 is approximately at right angles to theaxis oi' the tube 4.

Collapsing of the bellows Il, after the manner indicated, thereforeswingsA the head I6, on the pivot I1, and raises the tee I, from theposition showninY Fig. I to that shown in Fig. II, carrying 'the golfball G with it.

A stop I8, which may be conveniently made ad- Justable, limits theupward movement of the tee v I, by arresting the movement of the tube l.It is evident that the vacuum being maintained on 5 and 8, and the golfball G being elevated to the position shown in Fig. II, the ball willremain there until driven from the tee I, or otherwise removed.

As soon as the golf ball G is struck or otherwise displaced from thevacuum cup 2, vacuum in the vacuum cup 2, and in all passages conynectedthereto, and particularly in the chamber 1, is satisiled by theimpulsion of air through the passageway la. The diaphragm 8, being madeof resilient rubber, will resume the position shown in Fig. I, movingthe slide valve 9, so that the D slot I2 is out of registration with theport II and places the port III in operative registration with the ventport 20, which then satisfies the vacuum in the interior of the bellowsI4, which accordingly relaxes and the tee I, and its connected partsdrop to the position shown in Fig. I, ready to receive another ball ifany be present in the chute 2l. Thus the cycle may be repeatedindennitely, smoothly and noiselessly so long as the vacuum ismaintained by the vacuum producing means and so long as balls areavailable to consecutively take their places on the vacuum cup 2,A asthe tee I, drops into ball receiving position, thence to be raised toball delivering position and held there until driven therefrom.

Ihe anchor I5, of the bellows I4, is connected to reachrods 25 and 26,which are in turn connected to the plate 21, provided with cam slots 28and 29. These cam slots 28 and 29 engage the lower ends of gate wires 30and 3| which are plvoted to swing at 32.

In Fig. V the gate, composed of the wires 30 and 3i, is shown closed,which will be the same position indicated in Fig. II with the ball inraised position. It opens to admit a ball to the tee as the bellows I4,finishes its relaxing movement.

The plate 21, containing the cam slots 28 and 29, is arranged to movevery easily and when vacuum energy starts to collapse the bellows I 4,it will move rst and close the gate wires 30 and 3| together to stopadditional balls from rolling down the chute 2i. When it has reached thelimit of its movement, then additional collapsing movement of thebellows I4 will swing the head on its pivot and raise the tee I ashereinbefore described, and obviously since the plate 21 moves lrst uponenergizing of the bellows I l, it will be moved last when the tee dropsto ball receiving position.

A vent I0, communicates with the diaphragm chamber on the opposite sideof the diaphragm 8, from the chamber 1, so that influence felt in thechamber 1, will not be impaired or interfered with.

Almost innumerable modications may be made without departing from theoperative principles hereinbei'ore described. We therefore do not desireto limit ourselves to the speciilc device shown, nor operating after thespecinc manner shown, but what we claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is,-

1. In a golf apparatus, a movable tee, a vacuum ball holder on the teethat is adapted to retain a ball on said tee and vacuum producing meansoperatively connected to the ball holder through the tee.

2. In golt apparatus, a reciprocable tee arranged to hold a. ball indriving position by vacuum and means movable to reciprocate said tee andreplace a ball driven therefrom, a reciprocation cycle of said movablemeans being initiated by breaking the vacuum in driving the ball fromthe tee.

3. Golf bali apparatus for successively replacing a ball on a tee indriving position, defined in part as a reciprocable tee member, a vacuumball holder terminating said tee and vacuum producing means operativelyconnected to said ball holder.

4. Golf apparatus comprising a reciprocable tee, vacuum operated meansfor reciprocating said tee, pneumatic valve means for controlling saidlast named means and means whereby atmospheric pressure is renderedeiective to move said pneumatic valve when a ball is driven from saidtee.

5. In golf apparatus, a reciprocable tee adapted to hold a ball indriving position and pneumatic means for reciprocating said tee toreplace a driven ball, pneumatic control means for said reciprocatingmeans and means operable by air impulsion to move said control meansupon breaking contact of a ball with said tee.

6. Golf apparatus defined in part as a resilient tee, a vacuum cup inball holding position on said tee and vacuum producing means connectedto said vacuum cup.

7. Golf apparatus for automatically replacing a ball driven from a tee,comprising in combination a reciprocable tee, a pneumatic motor forreciprocating said tee, a valve for controlling operation cycles of saidmotor and pneumatic means for moving said valve to control said motorthat are rendered operative by breaking contact of a ball with said tee.

8. Golf apparatus for automatically replacing a ball driven from a tee,comprising in combination a vacuum motor, a tee reciprocable by saidmotor, a valve apparatus adapted to control said motor to reciprocatesaid tee by cycles and vacuum means for retaining a ball on said tee,the said valve being movable by impulsion of air when vacuum is brokenby driving av ball from said tee.

9. Golf apparatus for automatically replacing a ball driven from a tee,comprising in combination a pneumatic motor, a tee reciprocable by saidmotor, a valve apparatus adapted to control said motor to reciprocatesaid tee by cycles and vacuum means for retaining a ball on said tee,the said valve being movable by impulsion of air when vacuum is brokenby driving a ball from said tee.

10. Golf apparatus for automatically replacing a ball driven from a tee,comprising in combination a motor, a tee reciprocable by said motor,control apparatus for said motor that limits its movement to onerecipocation cycle of the tee and vacuum means i'or retaining a ball yonsaid tee, the said control apparatus being arranged to act by impulsionof air when vacuum is broken by driving a ball from the tee.

11. Golf apparatus comprising a tee reciprocable to successively replaceballs driven therefrom, pneumatic motor means for reciprocating said teeto replace a ball driven therefrom and stop with the ball in drivingposition, control meansior said motor and vacuum means for retaining aball on the tee, the said control means being adapted to move to controlsaid motor under the influence of air impulsion when aV ball is drivenfrom the tee.

12. Golf apparatus comprising a tee automatically movable to ballreceiving position and reverse to ball driving position after receivinga ball, vacuum ball holding means on the tee and vacuum means connectedto said ball holding means, the reverse movement of the tee to drivingposition being dependent upon closure of the vacuum ball holding meansby a ball and establishment of vacuum thereunder.

13. Golf ball apparatus for cyclic reciprocation of a golf tee between abail receiving position and ball striking position. including means forstopping the tee in driving position until a ball is driven therefrom,said means including a vacuum passage that is closed by the ball andmotor controlv apparatus operatively connected to said vacuum passagethat is movable under the influence of vacuum in said passage toenergize a motor.

14. Golf apparatus comprising a guilt tee. vacuum ball retaining meanson the ball engaging end of said tee and vacuum producing meansoperatively connected to said ball retaining means.

15. In a teeing device. a reciprocable ball holding tee, pneumaticallyoperated means for re- 16. In a golf ball teeing device, a reciprocabletee, a vacuum bellows arranged to reciprocate said tee. control meansfor said bellows and means that are rendered operable to energize saidcontrol means by driving a ball from the tee.

17. A teein'g device dened in part as a reciprocable tee, a vacuumAbellows arranged to 20 reciprocate said tee, control means for saidbellows, vacuum producing means positioned to activate said bellowsthrough said control means, the said control means being arranged tocause vacuum activation ot said bellows when a bail is 25 in piace onsaid-tee.

ELMER E. GOEHLER. PAUL AMORT.

